Rice Paper Scissors Ladies Land a Brick-and-Mortar Location

Katie Kwan and Valerie Luu at the entrance of their new restaurant location. Photo: Andria Lo.

Pho rolls. Photo: Andria Lo.

After popping up for six years (I remember trying their banh mi one night on Divisadero, right on the street) and looking for a space for the past few years, Katie Kwan and Valerie Luu of Vietnamese pop-up Rice Paper Scissors have found a restaurant space in the Mission on Folsom and 22nd (formerly a grocery store called Delicateses La Plaza). They want to bring some Saigon style to the bare space, with bright colors, tropical plants, and pyramids of fresh fruit.

They plan to have a casual neighborhood restaurant that serves lunch, brunch, and dinner. The menu will have their trademark beef pho and noodle soups (bun bo hue, chicken pho), plus rice plates, street food (fried egg sandwiches), and dim sum bites, like handmade lamb dumplings. They are known for making everything from scratch, including oyster and hoisin sauces and shrimp chips. Beer and wine will be served.

In order to make this all happen, they just launched a Kickstarter to raise $35,000. There are some tasty food rewards and some pieces by local artists, too, so let’s help them build this place, bowl of pho by bowl of pho. They hope to open in a year, but the Kickstarter runs until March 31st.